Update: I was unfortunately not aware of Shamus Young's severe criticism of Fallout 3 available here to link in the original piece and I regret that. It dovetails rather nicely with what I've written and it's much better executed than my piece. I strongly recommend anyone...

Mad Max is a loved franchise, more so than I realized before this year's E3. And with the field rife with alternate reality, wasteland-centralized, Wild West-themed titles, everything seems to be coming full circle with the inclusion of one of the beloved innovators in the post-apocalypse genre. Also, it's that kind of happy violence that comes with the end of the world as we know it, so you know you wanna play it.

Unfortunately, it was a guided demo, so I wasn't able to get my hands on it personally, but I did get to see some of the more in-depth features in the playthrough, like, for a good example, the car customization options. In the story, Max's prized ride is destroyed and he's on a quest to build up a new one, this time called the "Magnum Opus," which is entirely customizable right down to the tires.

All of the adjustments, in turn, determine the physics and handling of your ride; if you want a light, maneuverable machine, you're going to have to choose light parts designed to move around. In the menu you can actually see how a heavy part can sink the shocks of your car, so keep it in mind.

The game[lay is varied between the car combat and on-foot action. While car combat is a major focus, and the fights are super straightforward, the on-foot combat can be approached any way the player chooses. You can go in guns-a-blazin', but be prepared to have a major fight on your hands for the duration of the battle.

Discretion is the better part of valor, and sneaking around to take out anyone who would call for reinforcements will (occasionally) trump the brute force of breaking the doors down. Even still, with weapons like the Lightning Stick, a staff that can be stabbed into an opponent who then promptly blows up -- sometimes you just gotta do damage the old-fashioned way.

The building of your custom Magnum Opus begins some time in 2014 on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.